The Birth of Namine
by waterenchantress11
Summary: The backstory of Namine, from birth to the end of KH:COM from her point of view. Disclaimer: From Ch 2 onwards, much of the dialogue is used directly from COM. I do not claim the dialogue or characters, only my original ideas
1. Chapter 1

I awoke to a strong, bright light surrounding me.

"Ugh," I moaned, rubbing my eyes. "I feel like crap." The black dots slowly receded from my field of vision, and I examined where I was. I squinted. I couldn't detect where the light was coming from, but the white room reflected every single little bit of light. Great, exactly what I needed right now.

Rubbing my temples, I tried to remember anything.

_Who am I? Where am I?_

Pulling my hands from my head, I flexed my fingers. My entire body felt stiff, like I'd been sleeping for too long. I shifted into a sitting position, running my hands through my hair.

"Who's there?" The voice echoed ominously. I looked up, startled, to try to see who was talking. Jeez, so much for time to get my bearings.

Locating the source of the voice, my eyes focused on a tall figure walking quickly towards me. Shrouded in a black coat, I could tell (now that I had time to analyze the voice) that it was a man. Young. His voice wasn't that deep. I cocked my head as he came close. Should I be afraid? I wasn't feeling any bad vibes.

When he reached about ten feet away, the man edged hesitantly towards me. When he was fairly close, he knelt down. What was I, some kind of animal?

He pulled the hood away from his face. He was a unique-looking person. A very defined jawbone, I realized. High cheekbones too. His eyes were a piercing green, with a tattoo under each. The bright hue of his red hair startled me.

He held out a gloved hand. I took it hesitantly, appreciating the help to stand. When he let go, I wobbled a bit, but managed to stay standing.

"I'm Axel," He said. "Who are you?"

"I…. have about as much of an idea as you."

A thought hit me. A name. Was I remembering something? Letters formed in my head slowly. I read them and put them into a single word.

"Na…nam….nami….namine." I nodded. It seemed right. "Namine."

"Is that your name then?" He asked, staring at me incredulously. He mumbled something under his breath. The most I could make out was the word "superior".

"Follow me," he said, turning on his heels and walking quickly. I had to nearly run to keep up with him. I looked at my legs. Was I vertically challenged, or was he just freakishly tall?

We walked in silence. I lost track of what route we had taken—too many twists and turns. Jeez, this place must be, like, a castle. It was huge.

Axel stopped abruptly at a door. I could hear quiet voices from inside. He tapped three times, placed his hands on his hips. I had to stop myself from laughing. He looked like a girl when he did that! He knocked again impatiently. A few seconds later, he breathed out a frustrated sigh and went to knock again when the door opened.

A man stood in the frame. He was tall, about as tall as Axel. He had white hair and dark skin, and amber eyes. He was wearing a coat similar to Axel's. Behind him peered yet another man with pink hair. Despite his feminine attributes, his large muscled arms defined him as clearly masculine. The golden-eyed man looked at me, seeming troubled, but his eyes flicked back to Axel's face.

"Axel," The voice was deep and commanded attention. "We need to talk, I assume?" Axel nodded once.

"You may go, Marluxia," The white-haired man waved his hand. The man called Marluxia walked past, staring at me with curious eyes. I shivered, looking down. He gave me the creeps.

"You'll be fine out here?" Axel said, looking over his shoulder at me.

"Yeah. Thanks." He followed the golden-eyed man into the room. I sat down, back to the wall. I slumped down and stared at the blank, white walls for a while.

I heard the door opened. I started awake. When did I fall asleep? Their voices were muted, like they didn't want me to hear.

"Alright. Well, you know orders."

"Yes, Xemnas, sir." I could detect some hidden sarcasm in his voice. The golden-eyed man, apparently named Xemnas, rolled his eyes and retreated back to the room, closing the door loudly. Axel made a face at the closed door as I stood up. My legs faltered, but I pushed myself to stay awake.

"Sorry about that…. He can go on quite a bit." He rolled his eyes. "Jeez, it's past midnight already. You should get some sleep. Here, I'll take you to your room." He examined my weary face. I tried my best to mask it.

"Want me to carry you?"

"N…no, thanks." We started walking. It was longer than I anticipated. My mask, draining my will, quickly disappeared.

"Are you sure you don't want me to carry you? We still have a ways to go."

"I…guess…. For a…. little…" I never had the chance to finish my sentence. He swept me up without any effort. My head rested under his chin. The slow bobbing of his walking lulled me to sleep even more…

I awoke as he turned a doorknob. "We're here," he whispered. He laid me down on the bed at the center of a warm, dark room. I didn't even bother to get under the covers. "Goodnight," I heard him say. I tried to force my lips to do the same, but I passed out before I could do so.

Waking up to the sound of pure silence was pretty unnerving. Wait, no… it wasn't pure silence. I could detect two people's hushed conversation outside my door. I yawned hugely, scrambled out f bed, and stretched. Running my fingers through my hair as I looked into the mirror, I hoped I appeared somewhat presentable. I went over to the door, pressing my ear to hear what they were saying. Their voices were whispers.

"You have to have read something like her in all your books."

"My apologies, but despite my extensive intellect, I've never heard of anything of the likes of her."

One person sighed.

"Good morning," I said brightly, opening the door. I smiled when I saw the red-head.

"G'mornin'," he replied, smiling.

I peered past Axel to see he was talking to. A very short man stood there, silvery-blue hair covering half of his face. He gave me a glare and walked away without so much as a greeting.

"Did I…do something wrong?"

"No. Zexion's just….weird like that."

"Oh….I see."

"Oh. By the way… Xemnas and I agreed yesterday that you should be formally introduced to the Organization, seeing as you'll be staying here until we figure out what you are…" He said the last few words softly. I cringed.

"Okay," I said quietly, contemplating the last half of his sentence. "Should I be scared?"

He laughed. "Maybe."

A few hours later, Axel came to my room to show me to "the Organization's" meeting. Again, I was reminded of the vastness of my new environment as we twisted and turned through the corridors.

"I have to go now. You know, take my seat," Axel said. "Xemnas will introduce you to everyone." Suddenly, the tall, golden-eyed man was behind me. Axel vanished behind the door.

Xemnas led me into the room. My eyes widened in awe.

The conference room was not nearly what I'd expected. It was shaped in a circle, and (surprise, surprise!) it was completely white. There were thirteen extremely tall thrones scattered at different heights rising up the walls. The highest seat was vacant. The twelve people in the seats were all eyeing me intently. I saw some interest, some loathing. I spotted Axel and my shaking hands calmed down a little. Xemnas put a huge hand on my back.

"Organization XIII!" Xemnas announced in a booming voice. The room echoed menacingly and the buzz of conversation silenced.

"This is Namine," He said. I looked down. "She will be residing here for some time." Then, he proceeded to introduce me to all of the Organization members.

"Number II: Xigbar. the Freeshooter." An older man with gray and brown hair tied into a ponytail. He had an eyepatch and looked… just plain scary.

"Number III: Xaldin, the Whirlwind Lancer." Another scary-looking man with dreadlocks, strangely-shaped sideburns, and a vicious grin.

"Number IV: Vexen, the Chilly Academic." A man with long blonde hair and a scary smile.

"Number V: Lexaeus, the Silent Hero." Lexaeus was a muscular man with cropped brown hair. He was hunched over in his chair.

"Number VI: Zexion, the Cloaked Schemer." The guy from earlier. He looked way too small for his chair.

"Number VII: Saïx, the Luna Diviner." A younger man, he had electric blue hair that was styled in a spiky mullet. He had a scar across his face and was studying me intensely.

"Number VIII: Axel, the Flurry of Dancing Flames." Axel nodded at me.

"Number IX: Demyx, the Melodious Nocturne." The young man cocked his head. He had light brown hair, a thin build, and a crooked smile.

"Number X: Luxord, the Gambler of Fate." He had a blonde buzz cut and a mustache and beard. He sat with his legs crossed and he stroked his beard absentmindedly.

"Number XI: Marluxia, the Graceful Assassain." The man from Axel's talk with Xemnas last night.

"Number XII: Larxene, the Savage Nymph." The only woman in the Organization rolled her eyes and checked to make sure she hadn't broken a nail.

"And lastly, Number XIII: Roxas. The Key to Destiny." My eyes shifted to the seat. A young man that looked too small for his chair, too. He had blonde, spikey hair.

After Xemnas had introduced everyone, he launched into a long speech about "Kingdom Hearts". After a while, I couldn't even comprehend what he was trying to say, and tried not to fall asleep.

Axel came to take me back to my room after the meeting.

"Sorry about Xemnas' verbal diarrhea. There's always at least one of us that falls asleep."

"Does he do that--?"

"Every day," Axel muttered, finishing my sentence. He rolled his eyes.

"Hey, Axel! Wait up!" I twisted around to see who was calling him.

The thirteenth member-- "the Key to Destiny", as Xemnas had called him—ran up to Axel's other side.

"Hey, sup? Haven't seen you today yet, man!" They did some weird fist-pound-secret-handshake thing.

"Nothin much, bro. You?"

"Nothin." The blonde boy noticed I was there, despite my best efforts to disappear.

"Hey," He said, tilting his head to see me. "You're Naminé, right? I'm Roxas." He looked too young to be wearing the solemn uniform of the Organization. I examined his face. He couldn't be any older than me. Fourteen, fifteen max?

"Hi," I said quietly. I examined his features. He had clear, perfect skin, a rosy complexion, and spikey blonde hair that defied gravity. What intrigued me most were his eyes. They were huge and a bright, electrifying shade of blue. The shade was somewhere between teal and medium blue—ultramarine. That seemed to fit. I noticed that he was pretty much gorgeous.

He smiled at me. I probably looked like an idiot for staring at him. I tucked some hair behind my ear and looked down. I could feel the heat coming to my face.

"So, are you new here too?" He asked me.

"Um, yeah."

"Thought so. I just got here a few days ago."

"Oh. Cool."

He continued to talk to Axel. I watched my feet like there was something interesting on my shoes.

When we got to my room, I said bye to Axel and Roxas and flopped on my bed. I sighed, mentally retracing his facial features. As time passed, I wondered to myself. Had I dreamt him up? He couldn't be real. He was too perfect.

Later that night, as I was getting ready for sleep, I heard a knock on my door. I was surprised when I opened the door. I had been expecting Axel, but instead of looking up, the pair of eyes were at eye level.

"Oh… Hi, Roxas," I said. My eyebrows wrinkled a little in confusion.

"Hey…Sorry I'm here at a weird time. I just wanted to give you something. I figured you must get pretty bored."

"Oh. Thanks." He handed me a book. I opened it, flipping through. It was full of blank pages.

"A sketchbook?" I murmured, noticing the pencil clipped to the binding.

"I love to draw! How did you…" I looked up. Roxas was nowhere to be seen.

"….Know?" I whispered to air. "Thanks,"

I went back into my room, closing the door behind me. I sat down on my bed, and forgetting any previous tiredness, began to draw.

Using my renewed mental image, I sketched the sharp curve of his chin, the big blue eyes, the light blonde hair…. I must have spent hours on that picture. Drawing, erasing, drawing some more, re-erasing.

After a while, I looked back to evaluate my work. I went back to perfect the picture. I drew the eyes until they captured the sparkle that he had. Again and again, I kept on sketching. It wasn't ever unpleasant. Even if I had drawn a certain section of his face what seemed like fifty times, I just challenged myself to make it as perfect as he was.

I drew through the whole night. Who needs sleep? I kept drawing right up until Axel came to take me to breakfast in the Great Hall.

"Hey," he said, not even bothering to knock. He knew I'd recognize his voice anyway.

"Hey," I yawned once.

"Whatcha drawin'?"

"Eh, just a drawing of Roxas. He gave me a sketchpad, so I figured I'd give him a gift too." He came over and sat down next to me.

Peeking over my shoulder, he whistled.

"Holy god. Did you seriously draw that?" He tilted his head. "Jeez, that looks just like him!"

"Yeah," I said. "I've been drawing…for a…while…" When I blinked, my eyelids didn't want to open again.

He looked at me suspiciously. "How long have you been drawing for, exactly?"

"Eh… maybe, eight hours? Give or take a few, I haven't really been keeping track."

"Namine, you can't just not sleep!"

"Sure I can! My sleep schedule is already screwed up, so why not?" I laughed. "Hey, before we go to breakfast, do you mind showing me where Roxas' room is? I wanted to slip it under his door."

"Ooh, anonymous. How romantic," He laughed. "Sure, I'd be happy to. He's actually not far from here." He took the trip like it was some spy mission, moving quickly and quietly. I just prayed that Roxas wouldn't be there when I gave him the picture.

Axel tiptoed to a halt at a plain white door. "Here it is," he said. I crossed my fingers, took a deep breath, and slipped the picture under the door. Not waiting to see if anyone was there, we both took off at top speed.

Laughing when we reached breakfast, I saw Roxas there.

"Hey, what took you guys so long?" He said upon our sitting down at the communal table. I promptly cradled my head in my arms. I let out an exhausted sigh. Now that I was sure it was day, my eyelids didn't seem to want to stay open. I only looked up when Axel handed me a bowl of cereal. I ate gratefully.

Roxas chuckled. "Jeez, Namine, you look dead. Did you get any sleep last night?"

"Uh, uhm, not really." I muttered into my bowl of cereal, trying not to give myself away or smile through the sleepy haze.

He tilted his head. "Why not?" He inquired.

"You- you'll see soon enough." I shrugged. "That's all I can say for now."

"Oh… okay." He seemed confused, looking to Axel, but the older boy just shook his head.

"You'll have to find out for yourself." He said simply, trying not to smile.

He smiled unsurely, launching into conversation with us again. He tried to get hints from us, but it didn't work. We were adamant in our decision not to reveal any details about the gift.

After breakfast, I forgot about the gift until later that night….


	2. Chapter 2

The gentle skritch-skratching of my mechanical pencil was interrupted by a tap on the door. I looked up briefly. "Come in," I said quietly, my voice hoarse from disuse. I cleared my throat as my mystery guest entered.

"Hey," Roxas said gently, leaning with a quietly seductive smile against my doorframe.

"Hi," I murmured with a small smile. I finished the line I'd been sketching, completing Axel's left eye.

"Watcha drawin?" Roxas asked, closing the door behind him as he came to stand next to me. I scooched over so he could sit on the bed next to me.

"Not much," I murmured. His eyes widened when he saw my sketch.

"Holy crap," He said. "I guess I know it was you, now. You're an amazing artist."

"Thanks. I can't seem to get Axel's hair right though…." I paused as I mentally reviewed the first part of his sentence. "Wait. You 'know it was me'?"

He produced a piece of paper from behind his back. "This is your doing, right?" I was looking at my sketch from last night. I was almost startled at my own work, now that I was seeing it with new eyes. After you work on a piece of art for a long time, you kind of get a certain way you think it looks in your mind. It looks different if you put it down and come back to it then if you look at it after working for twelve hours.

"Um…. Maybe?" I said quietly.

He shook his head in disbelief. "This is _amazing_," He said. "It looks _just like me_. How did you do it? I've seen you what, like four times, ever?"

I shrugged. "I don't know how I draw. I just… do."

"Well, I wanted to thank you for drawing this, and to return it to you."

"W-what? Why?" I said, pain in my voice. Did he… not like it?

"It's too good. I can't take this." He held the picture to me.

"No. I drew it for you. Take it."

"You drew it for me?"

"Yes."

"As in, specifically for me? And you do not want it back, ever?"

"Yes. It's for you." What would I do with it anyway, hang it on my wall and worship it?

"Are you sure?"

"Jesus, Roxas, take the freaking picture before I run back to your room and put it on your wall." I laughed. How could I be so comfortable with him around? I felt like I'd known him forever, not only a day or two.

"Oh. Okay." He took the picture back, eyes traveling over it several times. He shook his head after a few minutes, incredulous to my talent.

"So…. you do like it, then?"

He seemed offended. "Why wouldn't I? Its amazing."

"Well…. I don't know. I'm glad you do."

"Oh." He said, eyes returning to the drawing once more. "I should probably get going."

"Okay." No, don't leave, please?

We walked to the door. When he was outside he nodded once awkwardly. My fingers drummed on the door slowly.

"So, I'll see you later?" He said. Was there hope in his voice?

"Yeah. Later." I nodded once. He turned to leave, but before he could go, I hugged him.

I couldn't tell why his arms delayed from wrapping around my back. Was he surprised? Did he not want a hug from me?

"See you," I murmured, turning pink at the cheeks before ducking back into my room.

I heard quiet footsteps leave the vicinity. I smiled a little bit, wondering when I would next see him.

I hoped sincerely it was soon.


	3. Chapter 3

Nearly a month passed. Things were going great for a while. My days consisted of my drawing or spending time with my two new friends. I tried to push the chilly regards I received from most of the Organization's members to the back of my head for now. But more frightening was when the time for sleeping came. For as soon as my eyes closed, it began again.

I heard the distant rhythmic beat of hooves on the ground. I stood in a dark landscape, a single clearing surrounded by an ocean of trees. For some reason, my eyes were turned expectantly towards the north end of the area, the side opposite of me. As the sound drew closer, I shivered in the cold night air. My heart beat ever faster, an adrenaline high mixing with intense fear and expectation of what was to come. As I struggled to understand and control my emotions, a bright shape appeared on the horizon.

Some distance away, at the opposite edge of the clearing, stood a horse so purely white it seemed to glow. Despite the space between us, I squinted. It was then when I noticed the horse's mount. They were too far away to distinguish any characteristics, but I saw the person's head turn in my direction. All was still for a few moments, and then the rider and horse proceeded to advance full-gallop at me. They were halfway across the clearing when I was sure it was a young man. A man, wearing full body armor that glinted silver in the night despite the absence of a moon…

I woke with a start, a smile half-enveloping my face. As soon as I noticed, it disappeared, and the fear set in. The same dream had been occurring every night for the past few days, but every night the rider on the horse managed to come closer. I knew now that the person on the horse's back was a man, but I still had yet to decode the significance of the dream. As the man in the dreams came closer every night, I tried to ignore my subconscious. But thirty-eight days after my arrival at the Organization, my life took a dramatic turn for the worse.

I set down my mechanical pencil as I heard a knock on my door. I walked over to the entrance to my small room and opened up. The thought of Roxas on the other side made me smile widely. I opened the door, only for my face to darken.

"What do you want, Larxene?" My eyes narrowed. She had a casually sadistic air about her. In all of the five minutes I'd ever talked to her in my known life, I'd come to strongly dislike the woman. She smirked down at me. I fervently wished I'd been at least a foot taller so I could stare her straight in the eyes without looking up.

"You're coming with me, kid." She firmly grabbed my arm and started half-walking, half-dragging me down the hallway.

"Let me go!" I spat, jerking my arm away from her. She only held tighter, and gave me a menacing glance before we took a turn down another hallway I'd yet to have ventured down.

For a while, we walked through the never-ending white of the castle. Every hall was doorless and windowless, a perfect rectangle. Every once in a while, we'd turn, but otherwise our course was straight. Paranoia began to set in the edges of my mind. Why was she taking me so far away from living quarters? None of the Organization's meetings or daily activities were ever held this far away from the "heart" of the castle, as I'd dubbed it. If I needed to escape, I wouldn't be able to. I had no recollection or sense of direction of the way we'd come.

Larxene interrupted my daydreams by coming to an abrupt halt. I started a bit, and I heard her knock on the door three times. She waited, finally releasing my shoulder. I rubbed my arm, noticing how sore it was and gave her a spiteful glance. She ignored me, focusing impatiently on the door. I heard a pop and a click and the door swung open. She pushed me in and followed, the door closing behind us forcefully.

I studied the room around me. Plain white. Besides myself and Larxene, there was another seated at a table. As we neared I instantly recognized Marluxia. His stare gave me the chills.

"Sit down." His voice commanded with a slight echo. I did so warily, glancing from him to Larxene, who took her place by his side. They exchanged a glance and he turned back to me, expressionless. His face was as cool and smooth as granite.

"Naminé. I'm sure you're wondering why you're here." Marluxia shifted slightly in his chair. I stayed silent.

"Well, first, I'd like to inform you that the Superior has temporarily taken a leave of absence. In this case, he has entrusted me with the care of Castle Oblivion." He paused briefly, as if waiting for my reaction. After a few moments of silence, he continued. "As the Lord of Castle Oblivion, I have a task for you." He leaned over to stare directly into my eyes. I fidgeted under his uncomfortable gaze. His eyes were like an eagle's. What was he getting at?

"What does the name Sora mean to you?"

I winced as a sudden pain threatened to split my head in two. I inhaled sharply, hand flying to my temple instinctively and massaging it.

"So…ra?" I frowned. "I've never heard the name before."

"Does it seem familiar? Ring a bell?" The expression on Marluxia's face was calm but his eyes were intense. I was afraid to answer.

"I don't know." I said after a moment. "Why should I tell you, anyway?"

"Because," He said, his voice and mood quickly darkening, "as Lord of Castle Oblivion, your disobeying my commands would be considered treason. And you know what happens to traitors, don't you?"

Larxene pulled her hand across her neck, making a threatening noise. I interpreted her motion as death. I wouldn't put it past her to enjoy killing.

"I'm not afraid of you." I lied.

"Ah, the timeless statement. But in fact, Naminé, this has absolutely nothing to do with fear," Marluxia purred.

"Why, if you cooperate, we very well may let you see Roxas!" Larxene added, circling me like a predator. Her head tilted and her hand trailed along the back of my chair.

"Wh—what are you doing with Roxas? Where is he?" I knew I shouldn't let my emotions control me so fiercely, but a pang of worry jolted me. I stared the blonde woman straight in the eyes.

She chuckled. "So temperamental! Relax, we're not doing anything to your precious Roxas. He's in his room, completely undisturbed, right now." She batted her eyelashes, her voice condescending. "And we want to make sure it stays that way. One step out of line and you'll never see Roxas again."

I growled at her.

"Eh eh eh," She shook a finger at me. "Didn't you hear me? If you aren't a good girl, little Roxy is gone forever. And it'll be all your fault." My eyes narrowed as I sat in the seat once more, facing Marluxia.

"And, if you don't obey, you'll be locked in this castle as long as needed for you to learn your lesson. Forever, if that's what it takes."

"So what do you want me to do?" I inquired bitterly.

He passed a sketchbook to me. It was as white as the walls of the castle. Seconds later a basket of crayons appeared next to it.

"I need you to draw a picture."

"Of what?"

"Of Sora, Riku and Kairi. Add yourself in there, too." He got up to leave the room. I hadn't noticed before now, but Larxene was already by the door. I twisted around in my chair.

"Wait! I don't know who they are! How am I supposed to draw them?"

He snorted slightly. "Look into yourself. You'll know." And with that, he exited the room. I heard a click that sounded like a lock.

I walked over to the door and tested it. Yes, it was locked. I mentally cursed before returning to the table and staring angrily at the sketchbook. I turned Larxene's warning over in my head a few times.

_Didn't you hear me? If you're not a good girl, little Roxy is gone forever. And it'll be all your fault._

So I had to obey to be able to see Roxas? Fine. If that's how they wanted to play the game, I'd play by their rules. I'd never be able to live with myself if anything happened to Roxas…

So who was I supposed to draw? Some people named Sora, Riku and Kairi. And I was supposed to draw myself, as well. For some reason, the names seemed to strike a chord of recognition deep within me. I closed my eyes and concentrated. I repeated the names over and over in my head, willing some mental image to come to me. I knew if I couldn't complete the task, there'd be consequences.

Sora. Riku. Kairi.

Sora. Riku. Kairi.

Sora. Riku. Kairi.

Sora. Riku. Kairi.

Sora. Riku. Kairi.

Sora…

All of a sudden, something flashed behind my eyes. I gasped as all of a sudden I knew their appearances—I'd had a vision of three people holding hands. I recalled the image and opened the sketchbook, immediately beginning to draw the mental picture. I sketched each in turn until the colors of the picture matched my vision perfectly. I contemplated the gap I'd left in the center, between the girl and one of the boys. I recalled Marluxia's request that I add myself in the picture, and slowly began to draw me. Right as I finished the final touches of the picture, the door clicked and opened. I turned quickly as I saw Marluxia come into the room. He sauntered to my side and observed my drawing.

"Are you finished?"

I nodded, and handed the sketchbook to him as he instructed. He inspected it and smiled. "Very good," His deep voice sounded.

"Do I get to see Roxas now?" I asked, hoping the eagerness didn't show up too much in my voice.

"Not yet," Marluxia said. My heart sunk. "I need you to draw something else. This might require more than just one picture." My eyebrows furrowed together in confusion.

"I need you to imagine what you're like on a normal basis. Place yourself mentally on an island. You're younger than you are now. Imagine the two boys are your best friends. And draw what comes to you."

"So, essentially I'm making up a story and drawing it? What about the girl from the picture? Is she there, too?"

"No." Marluxia said sternly. "Kairi is not part of your story with the boys." He headed for the door. "I will give you one hour, and then I will return. When I do, I expect you will be done." He closed the door behind him with a soft thud.

I stared after the only entrance to the room for a minute. Was the story he was talking about…. Was that what my life was before? Before I'd woken up in Castle Oblivion? Was it some forgotten childhood I knew nothing about? I shivered at the thought. It seemed familiar, but not right. I shrugged off the feeling and began my work. As long as I get this done, I thought to myself, I'll be able to see Roxas.

I thought of myself "on a daily basis", as Marluxia had ordered. Well, I was quiet. And I liked to draw a lot. I imagined myself on an island. I'd never been to one, as far as I knew, but I imagined a beach. My hand set to work, drawing myself sitting on a shore by the water. I held a sketchbook, and I imagined it was the one Roxas gave to me. I paused after I'd finished myself. What about the two boys? All Marluxia said was that we were best friends… and that we were younger then we are now. Well, what do children do? Play make-pretend, be fairies and knights in shining armor and princesses and battle over each other and… that was it! Suddenly the story unfolded in my head a tiny bit. I quickly sketched a rough outline of the two boys from my other picture fighting. But with what? I bit my lip. A sword. A wooden sword! I drew that in, too. I pondered why they were fighting. They were fighting… for me to draw them. I liked that. I smiled a little bit and refined the picture, mentally tacking the new element of the story on. I wiped the shavings off the page and placed the sketchbook on the table once I was satisfied with my work. I waited for Marluxia to return, hoping I'd drift off to sleep to pass the time.

I didn't. But he did come back in an hour, as he'd promised. He gave me more instructions, told me to imagine what it was like if I'd had to suddenly move away, and my parents wouldn't tell me why. He said that I wouldn't be able to say goodbye to the boys, and to draw what their reaction would be. I wondered why he needed me to draw all this, but I obeyed anyway, knowing Roxas would be put in jeopardy if I didn't. Luckily for me, Marluxia seemed satisfied with my work, and next told me a short story.

"Close your eyes, Naminé. Visualize what I am about to tell you." I did so.

"One night, there was a meteor shower at the islands." The rest played like a movie in my head as he told me.

Sora and I were sitting on a high hill, watching the meteors shoot through the sky.

"Sora?" I asked, my voice betraying the fear in me. "What if one of the shooting stars hits the islands? I'm…scared."

"Naminé," Sora said quietly. The night was dark, so I couldn't make out his face. "You don't have to be afraid." He picked up the wooden sword that he used to battle Riku and pointed it to the sky.

"I promise, no matter what, no matter where we are, that I will always protect you!"

"Are you sure?" I asked, my voice seeming suddenly loud in the quiet night.

"Of course. It's a promise, Naminé."

"Sora, I had something I wanted to give you." I pulled a star-shaped object from my bag next to me. "It's a lucky charm. I always keep it with me."

"Thank you, Naminé." We hugged.

I snapped out of the trance, and Marluxia smiled. "You're doing well," He commented as I began my picture of the dream. Sora and I each were holding a part of the good luck charm.

Marluxia instructed me to do the same thing over again, but replace Sora with Riku.

"But… why?"

"No questions."

After I'd finished that picture, my patience was starting to wear thin.

"When do I get to see Roxas?" I asked.

He chuckled. "Roxas, Roxas. Always Roxas. Don't worry, if you finish this picture soon you'll see him within the hour."

"Okay." I said. It sounded fair enough. All I was doing was drawing, anyway. "What next?"

"I want you to focus on Riku." I pictured the white-haired boy from my visions.

"Okay."

"Imagine that somehow, there was a copy of Riku made." I frowned as mentally the boy metamorphosed into two of the same in my mind.

"A copy? Like…. A clone?"

"Yes, somewhat. Now imagine this other-Riku, this fake Riku, believes he is the real one." I did so.

"But what happened to the original one? Doesn't he believe he's the true Riku, too?"

"Yes. But the real Riku is fine. Don't worry about him. Meanwhile, this replica has the same memories as the real Riku. He believes you were his best friend as well, and he even thinks that you made the same promise of protecting you as you did to Sora. Imagine he has his own lucky charm, the exact same one as you just drew." He set me off to work, staying in the room again as before. Once I'd finished, he took the sketchbook from me and escorted me to the door, where Larxene was waiting.

"Ready to see your lover?" The eagerness that had been building in my chest vanished for a moment at her comment. "Shut up," I growled.

"Hey, I don't have to take you to see him." She shrugged, then watched me. "Well, I'm assuming you want to, so I'll disregard your blatant lack of respect for your superiors this time. Follow me." She waved a hand and began to walk. I trailed in her footsteps, staring daggers at her back. The way she referred to herself as superior to me made me sick.

"Oh. And," She added, stopping and pivoting for a second, "Don't even think about running. Because you won't get far." With that, she stopped at a door that I hadn't noticed previously. She pulled a key from her pocket and slid it into the door. I heard a click and she motioned me inside.

"Thirty minutes," She said. "I'll be right outside, waiting." She closed the door and the lock clicked again.

"Roxas?" I said, turning around. In the center of the whitewashed room I spotted a figure in black laying on his back, staring blankly at the ceiling. At the sound of his name, Roxas looked up.

"Naminé?"

"Roxas!" I dashed over to him before he could stand up, tackle-hugging him to the ground. I embraced him in a fierce hug, which after a second he returned. I buried my head in the shoulder of his coat, taking in the smell of the leather. When we released each other we sat up. His face was an expression of shock, happiness and disbelief.

"What's going on? Are you okay?" He asked, gripping both of my hands tightly in his and making me blush.

"I'm fine, for now. Are you?"

"Of course, I'm fine. Just confused… I was just in my room when Larxene showed up and I think she knocked me out. Next thing I knew, I was in here. I have no idea what the heck is going on." He recounted worriedly.

"Larxene showed up at my room, too, and made me come with her. She and Marluxia must be in on this…. Xemnas left for a while, and he named Marluxia his successor in his absence." Roxas's eyes widened.

"But… Marluxia is number XI! Wouldn't Xemnas name Xigbar, since he's number II? This doesn't make any sense…"

"You think that's weird? Listen to this! Marluxia and Larxene have been holding me hostage in this room. They're making me draw these weird pictures of a bunch of people who I've never met."

"Really?" Roxas looked worried. "What're their names?"

"Well, there's two guys and a girl. Their names are Kairi, Riku and So… ah!" All of a sudden the world had tipped on the side and I was clutching my skull, which was threatening to rip apart again. I closed my eyes and willed the pain to go away with a whimper. In seconds I felt Roxas cradling my swimming head in his lap.

"Nami? Are you okay? What is it, what happened?"

"Ugh… I don't really know." I said, sitting up slowly as the pain receded. "I think it's like, a migraine or something. Every time I think of S…" I thought twice before I said the name, "… the one boy's name, I get a splitting pain in my head." I rubbed my temples feverishly as the pain ebbed. Roxas's face was full of concern.

"I'm fine. Really." I said. I didn't want him to be worried about me. "We don't have much time together. Larxene said 30 minutes."

"Yeah. I heard," He said. He wrapped his arms around me again, bringing me close to his side. I felt the weight of his head rest on mine. "I'm just so glad you're okay."

"You too," I said, winding my arms around his waist. We just hugged each other for a while. I didn't bother to measure how long. I just enjoyed his warmth. I didn't know when I'd feel it again.

If I'd feel it again.

No, I couldn't think that. Everything would turn out fine. Soon, Marluxia and Larxene would end this crazy game of Pictionary and we'd be able to go back to our normal lives.

The lock clicked once more. I looked up, panicked. My eyes widened. They couldn't take me away from him now. They just couldn't. I wouldn't go with them.

"Time's up, lovebirds," Larxene called from the doorframe. "Aww, how sweet," She said, cocking her head and walking over to us. A few feet away, she stopped, put a hand on her hip, smirked. "It's time to go, Naminé. We need you."

Roxas snorted. "As if I'm going to let you just _take_ her," He snarled. He stepped in front of me, fists curling into balls. Larxene chuckled and summoned her kunai.

"If a fight's what you want, boy, a fight's what you'll get."

"Roxas. Don't."

Startled, Roxas and I looked in unison to the doorway, where a tall hooded member stood. Throwing off the hood, Axel stepped forward a few tentative feet. My eyes widened in shock.

"Axel? What are you doing here?" Roxas's words mirrored my thoughts perfectly.

"Roxas, you know she'll beat you. Let Naminé go."

"Axel—what are you saying? You can't just let her take Naminé! They're using her! They've locked us up and aren't letting us see each other unless she obeys their orders!"

"Marluxia is the Lord of Castle Oblivion. He can do whatever he wants."

"You… you're not just going to stand aside and let her do this?"

"You're right, I won't." For a moment, all was still, and then I felt someone's hand grab my arm and yank me forward. Within the blink of an eye, Axel had traversed the room and pinned Roxas to the ground.

"Go, Larxene. I'll hold him off until you get back."

"Wh—what are you doing? Get off of me, Axel!" Roxas struggled under Axel's grip. "Axel! Stop it, now! We have to save Naminé!" Roxas's eyes flickered from him to me. "Naminé! Don't go!"

"Roxas!" I yelled, struggling against Larxene's iron grip. She was dragging me to the door. I kicked and hollered, my one arm trying to hit her and the other reaching out for Roxas. "Roxas, I'll be okay! Don't worry about me!"

"Naminé! Nami—" His yells were cut off as Larxene finally got me out the door. She tossed me to the ground, and I covered my head with my hands as I felt her boot kick me square in the stomach. The breath in my lungs came out with a whoosh. I tried to protect myself as she kicked me over and over again.

"You ungrateful wretch! I'll show you what it's like when you don't cooperate!" I felt her kicks hit me a few more times. I couldn't do anything but lay there helplessly. My mind was paralyzed in disbelief. She grabbed me by the arm and wrenched me off the ground, storming off in the direction of the room where we were before. I struggled to keep up, not noticing our route. While she grumbled under her breath I thought of the previous events. So… Axel was in on this, too? But no, he couldn't be! He was my friend! Our friend! But then…. Why had he let Larxene take me? Was it not really Axel, but a copy like in the story of Riku? Was Axel working with Larxene and Marluxia? My head hurt from the possibilities.

Larxene angrily unlocked the door we'd stopped at and threw me in. I landed with a thud on the ground. She raised her fist to punch me when I heard Marluxia's voice.

"Stop it, Larxene. She's been punished enough for now. She knows the consequences."

"Yeah, she'd better know the consequences." She glared down at me. I slowly uncovered my face to look at Marluxia. He was standing before us. The room was different than before, though. The table had been removed, and a lone chair sat on the other side. Next to it was my sketchbook and crayons. I ran to it, the one thing that seemed benign amongst the swirling emotions. Luckily Larxene made no attempt to follow me. Marluxia gave me a long glance and headed for the door.

"Wait!" I called after him. "Don't you need me to draw anything?"

Marluxia snorted. "Do you know why we're making you draw? Is this an amusing sport to you?"

"Wh—I don't know why!" I exclaimed. "You're the one holding all the cards. Why don't you enlighten me!"

"Hmph." He turned around. "Larxene, you are dismissed."

"Gladly," She spat at me, turning on her heels and slamming the door behind her.

"Naminé," Marluxia began, still on the opposite end of the room. "You are a witch."

"What?" I frowned. "A witch? What's that supposed to mean?"

"You are a witch, with the power to manipulate Sora's memories." The name caused the splitting pain to return. "You were born as a Nobody when Sora stabbed himself to release Kairi's heart within him, thus turning Sora into a Heartless. However, Kairi recognized Sora even as a Heartless and saved him from consumption by darkness. Therefore, you are born from Kairi's heart and with Sora's body and soul, making you a very… special Nobody." He crossed his arms. "Your strange connection to Sora has resulted in your abilities to manipulate his mind and also those close to him. Your drawings have been your way of substituting Sora's memories of Kairi for yourself."

I looked down at the sketchbook. Could it really have such a power?

Could _I_ have such a power?

The drawing didn't feel any different from regular drawing. Except for, of course, the splitting pain when I heard his name. But if what Marluxia said was true, and I was a witch, then had I been rewriting his memory the whole time? That seemed impossible.

"So… every time I draw a picture, he loses memories of the girl and instead…"

"You're replaced where Kairi used to be. Yes." My mouth opened, my eyes welling up in tears.

"So… are Sora and Kairi… do they care for each other very much?"

"Yes. But now Sora doesn't even remember Kairi. Instead he fully believes, thanks to you, that he has made a pact to protect you. And now he's working his way deeper into the Castle to protect you from the bad guys." Marluxia smirked. "With your power, we can rewrite his memories and Sora will become the weapon for my ultimate goal… overthrowing Organization XIII!" My eyes widened, tears gone for a moment. Marluxia was trying to seize power for himself?

"Together, Larxene, Axel, and I will control the new Organization. We will be all-powerful! That idiot Xemnas played right into my plan." He paused and smirked. "As did Vexen. And now, you, too."

"No… NO!" I cried, clutching the chair back. "I will not be used! I won't let you turn Sora into a puppet!"

"There's nothing you can do about it now." Marluxia said quietly. "As Sora has climbed higher, he has lost his worthless memories and regained his true ones." He paused. "Don't you want your knight in shining armor to save you?"

"No… you can't… do this…." Tears started to stream down my face. "I won't… let you…."

"You'll meet him soon. Goodbye, Naminé. For now."

I heard the door open and close, and the lock clicked ominously. I made no attempt to stop him. The whole time, I'd been changing Sora's memories of those dearest to him. And now he only wanted to save me. I felt horrible. I wish I'd known what I had done before doing so.

But then again, was it better not to know? If I had known, I don't think I would have been able to go through with it. And then, that would have harmed Roxas….

But what would become of Sora after all of this? After Marluxia had used him to his full extent, would he be… eliminated?

So someone would end up getting hurt. And it was all my fault.

I heard a familiar sound as a black portal materialized next to me. I didn't bother to see who it was. I was too far receded within my own guilt.

I heard footsteps travel in my direction, then felt a tall shadow loom over me.

"Does it hurt, Naminé?" Axel's voice sounded different. He sounded detached, not the friend who I used to have. Not the Axel I knew.

"Watching your two childhood friends fight, all because of you?" I stayed silent. I wanted to cuss him out, scream, insult…. But that wouldn't do anything.

They _aren't my childhood friends, Axel. I don't have childhood friends because I didn't have a childhood. I never got the chance._

"You have my sympathies, from the heart." I looked up quickly, a small gasp escaping my mouth in anger. He was a Nobody, too. He didn't have a heart. How could he even talk to me like this? He had no right!  
"But don't waste your time." He turned away. "We Nobodies can never hope to be Somebodies." The melancholy underneath his façade sounded heartfelt, for once. I gritted my teeth and looked down again.

Two more portals appeared and Larxene and Vexen entered the room. As the dark matter settled, the triangle of people was silent. The tension that hung in the air was tangible.

"What did you call me here for, Larxene?" Vexen questioned. "I assume something of great importance."

"So what's going on, Vexen?" Larxene asked in her usual voice, the one that dripped with false sweetness. "Your Riku was supposed to capture Sora. What's he waiting for? Where is he?"

Wait… your Riku? As in… no.

There couldn't be.

There was… more than one Riku? Had the scientist Vexen managed to create a replica, a copy, like the one from Marluxia's story? It made sense. Had I been giving the copy a memory when Marluxia was telling me to focus on him? It seemed impossible.

"He's hiding somewhere to lure Sora deeper into the Castle, right? I suppose we should just leave it at that, you know." Axel commented.

"Ah hah! Oh, I see now! I would have never guessed that! So sorry Vexen." Larxene said the last three words as if she were talking to a young child.

"Silence!" An angry Vexen yelled. Larxene had that way of putting people over the edge.

"Predictable response." Larxene's voice had changed from the sweetly poisonous one to her serious tone. "Forget it. Men without hearts are so boring."

"You're one to talk!" Vexen exclaimed. "As if you have such a heart to speak of yourself!"

"That's enough." Marluxia appeared in the corner of the room via a swirling black portal. Everyone looked towards the owner of the voice.

"Marluxia!" Vexen said. The person in question walked forward a few steps.

"Vexen. The simple fact is that your project was a failure. You'd best not disappoint us again."

"Disappoint you?" Vexen was obviously angry. "You go too far! In this Organization, you're number XI. I'm number IV and I will not have you-!" Vexen was quickly silenced as Marluxia pointed his scythe at the older man.

"I've been entrusted this castle and Naminé by our leader. Defying me will be seen as treason against the Organization."

I shivered. The way he talked about me… it made me sound more like property than a human being. And I'd heard his other words before.

"Traitors are eliminated. I believe that's what the rules say," Added Axel.

"Who needs a half-baked good for nothing anyway?" Chimed in Larxene.

"Vexen. You cannot win against Sora." Marluxia supplied.

"Hmph. No need to be so ignorant. As you're only able to see the surface of things I should not expect you to appreciate my true might."

"Oh?" Marluxia asked, his scythe disappearing in a shower of flower petals. "Then let us watch as you prove it."

"What?" Vexen questioned.

"None of us wish to be suspicious of a comrade." Marluxia turned away from Vexen. I could see none of their faces.

Vexen began to materialize in a black portal. "Your insincerity is comforting," He scoffed before he disappeared.

"You give a challenge like that to Vexen and he'll seriously want to eliminate Sora." Axel noted, stepping towards Marluxia.

"And I'm sure that's an outcome none of us look forward to." I felt their eyes travel to me and dropped my head to look at the floor. Marluxia wandered lazily over to my side. He put a large hand on my shoulder and I flinched.

"What to do? Your hero is soon to be wiped from existence." I kept my eyes downcast. "But I believe there is a certain promise he made you. Isn't that right, Naminé?" I gasped quietly as his past movie replayed in my head. The picture of the star shaped charm with my name on it… the promise that both the replica and Sora had made to me. To protect me.

"Yes." I answered quietly. He left my side and I tried to hold back the tears as my face turned towards the floor once again. I couldn't bear to look at anything else. I had some naïve hope that the white floor could erase all my memories if I stared at it long enough. I wish there was something that could just reset all of this. So everything could start over.

Marluxia returned to the center of the room, eyes on the large crystal ball that sat on a pedestal.

"If Sora disappears, that would mess up the Organization's plans." Axel commented.

"I trust that you know… what you need to do."Marluxia said to him.

"Haven't a clue, really. Maybe you could spell it out for me."

"Vexen has clearly committed a treasonous act against the Organization." His voice turned scary, detached in a robotic way. "You must eliminate the traitor." I shivered. I couldn't imagine Axel "eliminating" anyone.

"No taking that back later." Axel vanished in a swirling portal.

Several minutes of silence passed. I could feel Marluxia watching me like a hawk from across the room. I tried to remain still, but I fidgeted every now and then. His gaze was highly discomforting. To him I was some kind of tool, a weapon. Not a human, or even a Nobody. A witch.

Axel appeared again, back to me. "Nice work!" Cooed Larxene. "I say good riddance to that blabbermouth."

So Vexen was gone? Axel had went through with it and eliminated him?

"Marluxia. You used Vexen to test Sora's strength, didn't you?"

Larxene snickered and moved closer to Marluxia's side. "Not just Sora's. It was yours, too." She smirked maliciously. "We weren't sure if you actually had it in you to take out a fellow member."

She walked back over to Axel, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Well I guess that you did! It's time to join us. Taking over the Organization will be like child's play with the three of us."

I heard the realization dawn in Axel's voice. "So that's where Sora comes in."

"Of course, he wants to see Naminé, so why don't we just give him what he wants?" She said, her voice bordering on exasperation. I ground my teeth angrily. I was the bait.

"Rejoice, Naminé." Marluxia's voice was dry. "The time has come for you to meet the hero you have been longing for." Out of the corner of my eye I saw Larxene approach.

"I'm… glad." I whispered. It was half true. Although I was scared to death at the prospect of meeting the boy, I was also happy to do so. As soon as I felt the happiness I was drowned in the guilt of my own selfishness.

"But I'm warning you," Larxene purred, closing the distance between us and kneeling down to look me in the eyes. "You better not do anything to betray Sora's feelings." She stuck a finger under my chin and made me look at her. "Do you understand me, little one?"

The sadness came over me again. "I understand." I said, barely choking back the tears in my throat.

"All you may do is layer Sora's memories and bring his heart closer to you." Marluxia added from across the room. He disappeared in a black portal. Larxene followed his example with a final smirk at me. I half wondered if they were going to see Sora right now.

Axel crossed his arms and closed his eyes. I picked up my sketchbook and flipped to one of the previous pages.

"Sora," I said, loudly enough for Axel to hear. "Even if you come for me…what then?"

Axel walked over to me. "You're all that he's got left." He paused. "So then. If you don't stop this, no one will."

"Wh—" I looked up at my ex-friend. "But I—it's too late."

"You shouldn't give up just yet." He turned around, walked away. I frowned. What was he getting at?

"Say, Naminé, have you noticed? Marluxia doesn't seem to be around."

"What are you… saying?" I asked, my eyes trained on his back.

"Just that there's no one here who would want to get in your way."

My eyes widened as I realized what he was doing. He was letting me escape. I had to go find Sora and stop this madness.

I had to make things right.

I stood up, hand over my heart. I ran to the door.

"Just make it count." He said as I exited.


	4. Chapter 4

I ran through the halls of Castle Oblivion, not really knowing where I was going. I knew I was being reckless in that I wasn't paying attention and that I could be caught any second, but I didn't care. A feeling in my chest seemed to be pulling me in a certain direction. I could only follow it and hope for the best.

I emerged into a large common room. To my right, there was an immense door. I had a strange feeling, and I felt a name flash through my head.

Sora.

It was him. He was close. I could feel it.

How could I talk to him? Somewhere that wasn't here. Maybe… maybe I could manipulate his mind so we could be somewhere else, in his memories. We would be safe there for the time being.

But where? The only place I knew of that was connected to him was the islands. That was it! I could place ourselves in a memory of the islands.

I sat down in the center of the room and closed my eyes. I focused intently on the high hill from my vision—I pictured the environment, the feel of the cool night air, all of the sensory traits I could. Anything that could make it feel more tangible.

Suddenly I was standing under a tree in part of my vision. But it was different than I'd imagined it. The hill was floating, and instead of a cool night we were hanging in a swirling, angry purple void. I looked at myself, quickly registering I was okay, and then looked up. My heart skipped a beat.

"I have to keep her safe. Naminé! Can you hear me?" The person turned around.

It was him. It was Sora.

He had a look of worry on his face. He was the same age as me, from the looks of it. Incredibly spikey brown hair, blue eyes that reminded me strikingly of my own. This was it. It was him.

Suddenly I remembered the dream from what seemed like a million years ago. The man on the horse, riding towards me, emanating a blinding light in the incessant darkness. The horse galloped full speed ahead and stopped in front of me. The man dismounted, and for the first time I could see his face. It was Sora.

He extended a trustful hand and smiled.

Suddenly I snapped out of my vision, an expression of incredible sadness coming across my face. The silver armor and horse melted away, but the sweet and trusting expression was still there. I felt horrible that I'd rewritten such an innocent boy's memories. Everything he held dear had been replaced by me.

"Naminé!" He yelled excitedly, running over to me. He extended his arms as if waiting for a hug, but I couldn't bear to do so.

"Sora! I knew it. You came for me." A small smile crossed my face. Despite everything, he'd battled through the castle to get here. All for me. He'd done so much for me, yet what had I done for him? I'd erased all his true memories and filled his head with false ones.

He nodded with a smile. He stepped forward and held my hand. "It's you! It's really you! I've been through so much just to see you!" He clasped my hand tightly, like he'd never let go.

"Yes. I wanted to see you too. But this isn't right. I messed up. I wanted to see you." I looked at the sand. He got closer, his face worried.

"But… this isn't the right way."

"Naminé?" He asked. His voice was sad and troubled.

"I was lonely for so long. I just… couldn't bear it anymore." I looked at the crown necklace hanging on his chest. I hadn't consciously acknowledged it, but ever since that dream had begun, ever since Marluxia had first said his name…. it wasn't all just to protect Roxas. I would never do anything to put Roxas in harm's way, but…. Ever since that first dream, I had longed for him. I had longed for another friend.

And in some strange way, he reminded me of Roxas. The first thing I'd noticed was the perfect blue eyes. But there was more. The way he acted, his voice…. It was like déjà vu. It was like having another Roxas. I'd played along with the traitors' plans so I could see Sora.

"So I called out to your heart and had you… come all the way out to this place. You came for me and I'm so… so happy, but…" I shook my head as emotion threatened to overwhelm me. "But, to your heart, I had to!"

"Don't worry." He said with a shrug. "I'm here because I promised to protect you."

"Sora…" I smiled, then looked down for a second to regain my composure. "Thank you. And I'm sorry." I pulled my hand away. His expression broke my heart.

"I'm not supposed to be… in this picture." Suddenly, I felt my consciousness being sucked out of my body. It was just an empty shell now, a ghost-me without a soul. I felt myself on the other side of him, and he turned around when I spoke.

"That's true." Sora gasped. "Naminé?" He asked, confused.

"That isn't me. I'm not there." It was true. As I spoke, my consciousness was being pulled two ways. Half of me was in the room back at the castle, empty except for the two of us, standing in a trance. The other half was here, with his consciousness, in this strange memory-dream-world.

"I don't really exist… inside your heart." Despite the fact that I was talking, the voice came from the other me twenty feet away.

"I don't exist in anybody's heart." Judging from him turning from the other Naminé back to me, my voice was alternating between the both of us.

"I never have existed anywhere." My voice was sad. I had no place in anyone's heart. I was alone.

But Roxas?

Well, I'm sure I never had a place in his heart, too. He could have been bluffing the entire time. Nobodies don't have true emotions, anyway. We can pretend that we do, but we'll never be Somebodies. We'll never be able to feel fear, or love, or… anything.

So the whole time, Roxas was just pretending to be kind to me so I wouldn't feel as bad.

"What—what are you saying?" Sora asked the both of me. "What's gotten into you? Weren't we inseperable? Always together?" He clasped his hands over his heart. "But then, you had to go away… I came here so I'd never lose you again!"

I shook my head. So I really was a witch, then, wasn't I? He completely believed all of the things I had drawn, all of the implanted memories…

"Was it really me… you wanted to see?" I asked, sadness permeating my voice. I was going to lose him as a friend, wasn't I?  
"Of course it was! I know… I've forgotten a lot of things in this castle, but never anything about you!" He reached into his pocket. "Look! You gave this to me, didn't you?" He held the star charm. It was the exact copy of the one I'd dreamt about. The same one I'd 'given' him the night of the meteor shower.

"You have it! My good luck charm!" The other me exclaimed, taking on a life of her own.

"NO, SORA!" I yelled. "You can't believe me!" The other Naminé turned away.

"What am I supposed to do?" Sora asked, distressed.

"Think, Sora. Think just one more time." I willed him to think of Kairi. _Please remember her, Sora. You have to. She's the true memory buried deep inside your heart, somewhere…_

"About who's most special to you. Call out to that piece of memory that glimmers faintly deep inside your heart. No matter how far away the light gets, your heart's voice will always reach it."

"Who's most special to me?" He looked down at the good luck charm in his hand. "That's an easy one. It's you, Nami—what?" He was cut off before he finished my name as the star began to glow in his hand. It let off a blinding burst of light, and when the brightness had died down the star had changed. It was different now, some kind of shell-like object. Sora looked at the object in his hand with fascination and then at the other Naminé. She turned back, and for a second she transformed into the other girl, Kairi. As I saw her smile I felt myself lose my grasp on the memory-world and completely slip back into the room in Castle Oblivion. My knees buckled for a moment. The manipulation had weakened me slightly. I looked at Sora, whose face was still tranquil as he enjoyed the last few moments of the vision. Suddenly his blank expression turned determined as he fell out of the dream world and into the present.

"Naminé!" He cried, running to me. "It isn't you. The person most special to me… it's not you. Right?"

I sighed slightly, not loud enough for him to hear. "No. The girl you really care about—the one who's always with you—it's not me." I turned partially to look him in the eyes. "It's her."

"But then… who—who is she?" He questioned desperately. "Because I can't… think of her name. If she's so special to me, then why can't I remember?"

A pang of guilt hit me in the chest. It was all because of me he couldn't remember Kairi. It was all my fault, all my doing…

"Because…" I averted my eyes, knowing I wouldn't be able to look at him when I told him the truth. "I went into your memories and…"

"Let me explain this." I was cut off by a voice that seemed distantly familiar. I gasped a bit, looking towards the speaker. No more than thirty feet away stood a boy Sora's age. The trademark silver hair and piercing eyes matched exactly the boy Riku from my visions. Was this the real one, or the copy?

"Plain and simple." He walked towards us. When he reached me I flinched a bit, but he walked passed me and addressed Sora. "Your memory is a train wreck. You're not the one that's meant to protect Naminé!" He swiped his sword so it was blocking me from Sora. "It's supposed to be me!" He pointed his sword at Sora's face. I covered my mouth with my hands. This couldn't end well.

"But you and your messed-up memories are always in the way! Sora!"

Riku attacked Sora, and I moved out of the way as a short battle ensued. For a while it seemed as if Riku had the upper hand, but slowly and surely, Sora gained on him. I'd never seen such skill in fighting in my short life. A few minutes after the initial attack Sora hit Riku in the side. I winced as I heard a whoosh of breath from Riku and he fell to his knees, clutching his chest. Sora's keyblade disappeared and he ran over to Riku.

"Riku…" Despite the fact he'd just won the battle, Sora looked pained. He seemed like any second he was about to extend a hand and help Riku back up.

"Want some more? AH!" He yelled as I saw a ball of black and blue energy form in his hand. He threw it at Sora, who was knocked off his feet and now laid flat on his back.

"Sora!" I exclaimed in worry. My eyes followed the panting Riku as he stood up and stepped forward to stand at Sora's feet. With effort, the brown-haired boy sat up.

"Riku…" Sora seemed at a loss for what to say.

"Looks like I win." Riku's voice was somewhat smug.

"Riku! STOP!" I commanded. Any farther and Sora might get hurt.

He ignored me. "You are through!" Riku raised his sword, and prepared to bring it down on Sora.

"I SAID STOP!" I yelled, clutching my fists. All of a sudden I saw the copy fall to the ground, a stunned expression on his face.

"Riku?" Sora whispered hesitantly. "Riku? Riku!" He looked up at me.

"What did you do? What did you do to him!" Sora yelled at me. Tears welled up in my eyes. I couldn't answer, for I myself didn't even know what I had done.

All of a sudden Larxene materialized next to me via black portal. "Broke his heart. I'd say she more like smashed it, really."

"Smashed… his heart? Then… what's gonna… what's gonna happen to Riku?" Sora's voice was desperate.

Larxene laughed, sending chills down my spine. "Oh, you're so much fun to watch. If it's Riku you're worried about, then don't. Because… Riku was never really here."

"What do you mean?" Sora asked angrily.

"Do you really think I'm just gonna say it? That's too easy. Oh, what to do?"

"Quit the games!" Sora ran at her and swiped his keyblade, but missed. She kicked him square in the chest, sending him flying.

She sighed. "Alright, have it your way then. I know it'll kill you to hear this, but I think I can live with that." She smiled at her own sadistic humor.

"That thing lying there is just a puppet that Vexen made as an experiment. No more than a toy. It's laughable, really. It called you a fake, but it was a fabrication all along!"

"That Riku… a fake?"

"Fake in every possible way! It was only finished recently. How can it remember anything?" She knelt down next to the stunned replica and grabbed it by the neck. "You get it? Its memories of Naminé were just planted, not real." She threw the lifeless body off to the side of the room.

"Then…" Sora started.

"Yup, that means all this time it's been picking fights with you over memories that were counterfeit, trumped up, and completely bogus." She pivoted and stared at me. "Isn't that the truth, Naminé?" I couldn't answer. She walked closer to me and took my chin in her hand. "Oh, so cute! But behind this little face you do awful things." I twisted my face out of her hand.

Sora looked at me, sadness filling his eyes. "Naminé?"

"You're so stupid! Don't you get it now? That's what Naminé's powers are about. She can enter, rearrange, and even create new memories of anything, even things that never happened." It was the first time I'd ever heard a full description of my own abilities. How was I able to do all that through simply drawing?

"The girl you've been trying to protect all this time is really a manipulative witch who shackles people's hearts." My head shook slowly as the shame threatened to swallow me up. No! I didn't mean to…. I wouldn't have done it, Sora, if I had known better….

"Na… then… my memories are all…?"

"Oh, you do get it!" Larxene exclaimed. "Lies, lies, all lies. Just Naminé's illusions, nothing more. Binding you in the chains of your own memories was central to our trap. It makes me tingle to think how easily you were duped! So close to it, we were almost there. This was our only chance to turn the Keyblade Master into our puppet. But that jerk Axel… he used Naminé to betray us!" Her voice turned angry, and I heard a metallic sound as she summoned her kunai. "So now, I'm left with no choice but to eliminate you!" She started walking towards him.

"DON'T!" I cried, running in front of her and putting myself in between the two, my arms spread wide.

"Huh? It's a little late for the witch to grow a conscience." Her voice was like liquid acid. "Last time I checked, you're the one who fooled around with his memories, creating this mess! " As she spoke, my arms had started to sink. What she said was true. I had been the cause of all of this.

"I know, but…" I started to plead.

"I should tell you… that I'm in an extremely foul mood!" She gritted her teeth as lightning bursted around her. "Thanks to you, all our plans are RUINED!" She lifted an arm and knocked me on the side of the head. Her powerful blow was enough to knock me far away from the two of them, so much so that I was lying next to the Riku Replica.

"Naminé!" Sora called. Larxene's strike had left my head feeling jumbled. I curled into a fetal position as I tried to get my thoughts straight.

"What's this? Are you upset?" She giggled. "And you don't even actually know her!"

"Maybe not," Sora murmured, "But still…. I made a promise!"

"What?"

"A promise… I made to Naminé…to keep her safe. Maybe my memories are fake, but the promise is real to me!" I looked over to them with difficulty. Sora had managed to get to a standing position, but as I looked he stumbled. "That's why…. I'll keep it."

"You're such an idiot! There is no promise, and there never was! You're just delusional! Must you insist on playing the hero?" She paused as he looked up. "Whatever. If that's the way you want it, you're going down alone!" She raised her kunai in the air, but a shield thrown at her caught her off-guard.

Out of nowhere, I saw two creatures run up behind Sora.

"Not if we can stop you!" Yelled the shorter animal. A duck, from the looks of it, but it could talk and was wearing blue clothing. It carried a staff and I saw it cast some sort of spell over Sora that enabled him to finally stand up.

The other, a dog-like creature that stood on two legs, grabbed the shield as it came back like a boomerang. The two stood in front of Sora, whose expression rapidly became more surprised.

"Donald! Goofy!" Sora cried. "You found me!"

"Of course we did!" The taller one said. "We were worried about you."

"We promised! We promised we'd protect you!" The smaller one added.

Sora's face softened, a smile appearing.

The larger animal turned back to Larxene. "You won't ever be alone! It's always been the three of us, and we stick together!"

"And that is how it's going to stay!" Added the mage.

"Okay. Have it your way." Larxene's voice was cross. "More pain for you means more fun for me!" She brandished her kunai with a sinister smile.

As another battle ensued, my thoughts finally began to straighten out. I could move again. I rubbed my head, but I stayed on the floor as I tried to regain my consciousness. It felt like when Larxene hit me she'd given me Novacaine—I felt numb. Some of it was emotional, some was physical. After all the battling was done—that was, if Sora could win—what would happen to the two of us? What I'd done was so unjustifiable, so… would he be able to forgive me? I wouldn't blame him if he didn't.

I heard Larxene pant as she hit the floor. I slowly sat up to watch. She clutched her chest, doubling over in pain. "No," She whispered. "No! I refuse to lose… to such a bunch of losers!" She looked at her hand, as black smoke started to envelop her. "I'm fading… No, this isn't the way I… I won't allow!" She disappeared as the cloud of black smoke dispersed. Was she… eliminated?

Sora and his allies looked over to me. They walked forward, Sora hanging back the farthest.

"You must be Naminé!" The shield-wielding warrior said. "It's good to meet 'cha! We're friends of Sora's and my name is…"

"You're Goofy, and you're Donald." I finished. How did I know that? My mouth seemed to have taken a life of its own.

"Yeah, but how did you know that?" The duck, Donald, questioned.

"Congratulations, Sora! You finally found your friend! I'm so happy for ya!" Goofy was smiling, but Sora looked sad, distant. Goofy noticed this and started examining Sora's face. He still hadn't responded.

"Gee, there sure are a lot of questions." A small cricket on Sora's shoulder chirped. What was with all these animals wearing clothing?

"Naminé, I know this probably won't be easy for you, but could you tell us what happened?" The smallest animal asked. I looked up, at Sora. His eyes were still averted from me.

"Of course." I replied. It's the least I could do. The first step to set things right: the truth. "It's my fault, after all."

I stood up, slowly. I was still ashamed, but at least my confession might make me feel better, if only a little.

"I took the people in memories that were inside Sora's heart….and little by little, I replaced them with false memories."

"How? What about Sora's promise?" Donald asked.

"Made up. It was fake. Sora never really promised me anything. Me being with him on the islands, that was a lie. Just like everything else." Just like my whole life, my friends. I had surrounded myself, unknowingly, in lies.

"We never met. I was never Sora's friend." No matter how much I yearned to be.

"And you were never anything more, either." Sora spoke to me for the first time in a long while.

"No. You see, in all of your true memories… I was never really there."

"Gee, then that must mean it was your magic that made the rest of us lose our memories, too! Is there any way for us to ever get them back?" The cricket asked me.

"I can fix everything! If we go to the thirteenth floor." I could make things right. I could redraw everyone's memories, rewrite so everything was right again.

"But, Marluxia, he…" I couldn't finish the sentence. What would Marluxia do once he found me? I might not have the time to rewrite all of the memories. Such a tedious process, starting all over and redoing an entire fifteen year's worth of memories, not to mention Goofy's and Donald's too… it would take a while.

"I bet I know who that is! Was he the fella that made you tamper with all our memories?" The cricket asked.

"If I didn't obey… he said I'd be locked in this castle forever! I've been… alone for so long…" I remembered what it had been like before I'd awoken in the castle. It was worse than this. I had been… floating in darkness. Suspended in time. Alone… there was only silence… no one there but me….and I couldn't do anything. I couldn't speak, hear, see, move, breathe…. The darkness was everywhere. In my mouth, my eyes, choking me, swallowing me… I could never go back to that again.

"So you did what he told you to do because you were lonely?"

"I'm so sorry…" I said, on the verge of tears. I couldn't offer much else than my apologies, but I hoped he could understand the depth of my regret.

"Don't be!" Sora said, startling me. "Please don't cry!"

"Oh, of course." I wouldn't, if that's what he wanted. "I know I really don't have the right to." If someone here was most entitled to break down, it was him. He was the one who was alone right now… despite the three allies standing beside him, he had two best friends out there who cared for him very much, and he didn't even know where they were, and he couldn't even remember anything about the girl… not even her name…

"That's not what I meant!" Sora exclaimed, pain on his face. I looked from the floor back to him. "What?" He turned away and crossed his arms.

"It's like this: I'm really not happy with you messing with my memories, but… you know, I can't really get mad at you for it, either. These memories you gave me… in my head, I know they're lies, but they still feel right. Like the promise I made… I said I would protect you, and I wouldn't make you cry. Not ever. Naminé," He turned around to look me in the eyes. "If you cry now, I'll feel guilty! Like I let you down! So don't cry, please… until I get my memories back, smile, and… try to be happy. It's easier on me that way."

"Sora…" Why was he being so kind to me? I was used to the Nobodies, all of them acting so heartless…was this what all Somebodies were like? Or was it just Sora? Was he just special? I felt a connection to him that I'd never felt to anyone before… not quite the same as Roxas, but close. Part Roxas, part uniquely his own… it was hard to describe.

"Oh, brother, that's a bit much!" Donald remarked.

"It's okay! Sora always gets like this every time he gets around a girl!" Goofy replied, completely ignoring the fact the two of us were still standing right here.

"Aw, cut it out!" Sora said, half angry, half embarrassed. "I thought you both lost your memories too!"

Donald laughed. "Too bad! Good friends don't forget things like that!"

Goofy laughed heartily. I felt my face grow hot. Was I…blushing?

"Come on!" Sora said, a smile on his face.

I giggled. So this is what friendship was like? It seemed nice. I wished that I could have something like that, someday.

Sora's breath caught in his throat when he saw me laughing. "There! That's it! That's the Naminé I remember!" He paused, as if reminiscing. "Yeah, I really liked it when you used to smile. Of course, that was really only in my fake memories, but what I'm feeling now definitely isn't fake. It's real."

He…. He really did feel that way about me? After all I'd done? How could he be so completely forgiving?

"Thank you!" I said, clasping my hands over my heart. I couldn't have explained the feeling if I'd talked for an hour. Those two words described it in its entirety.

"Well then, let's go!" Sora said, looking to his two friends.

"Oh boy!" Donald responded excitedly. "I can't wait to get my memory back!"

"Naminé? Marluxia is gonna be up there, so maybe you better stay down here!" Goofy said.

"Yeah! Maybe you could look after Riku?" Sora added. "We'll come get you when it's over."

"Okay," I replied. They turned around and headed for the steps, waving. Donald and Goofy continued, but Sora turned back and stopped for a moment.

"Please be careful, Sora." I called after him. He smiled.

"I'll be okay. I promise." I watched him go, wishing them godspeed. Even after they were gone, I lingered, praying that they would be okay. Marluxia would prove to be a tough opponent.

I walked back to the side of the room and sat down next to the frozen replica. His face was still as it'd been when I smashed his heart. Frozen in fear, shock and disbelief….

All of a sudden, I wasn't sitting by Riku's side. I blinked, and as the flower petals and smoke around me dissipated, I was looking Axel straight in the eyes. A quick glance to my side showed me I was standing in front of Marluxia, his hand on my head.

"Is that your shield? Won't do you any good, I'm afraid." Axel said, looking at Marluxia. Shield? Marluxia was using me to stop Axel from attacking?

"I wonder," Marluxia's voice came from a few feet directly above me. "Are you listening, Sora?"

The huge door behind Axel opened and closed, and Sora stood there with Donald and Goofy flanking him.

"Oh?" Axel asked, glancing to Sora out of the corner of his eye.

"Axel says he's willing to harm Naminé to get me." Marluxia addressed Sora. "You won't let that happen, will you?"

Sora, let him do it. If it means killing me to get to Marluxia, let him kill me. Marluxia must be eliminated. The evil must be destroyed.

Sora brandished the Keyblade, and Donald and Goofy got ready to attack.

"Oh, come now. You're Marluxia's puppet already?" Axel snorted.

"After I finish you, he's next!" Sora shouted angrily.

Axel laughed. "Now, Sora, we've got more in common than you might think!" He turned around. "I'd really rather not fight you, but I can't dishonor the Organization, now can I?" He twirled his chakrams as they lit on fire.

Marluxia grabbed my wrist and pulled me to the side of the room, so we were out of the way. I watched the battle with worry. Two of my friends were fighting each other, and I didn't know how far they would go to win. Would Axel kill Sora, like he mercilessly eliminated Vexen? Would Sora have the heart to kill Axel?  
"Come on," Marluxia whispered lowly. "We're leaving." He summoned a portal and pushed me into it before I had time to protest.

We were in another room, nearly identical to the one before us. The only appreciable difference was that instead of a set of large doors, this room's north side was connected to a hallway. It was dark, so much that I couldn't see the other end. We waited for several minutes for Sora to finish Axel and move on to here. I looked at my arm, noticing an ugly mark: a bruise had formed from when Larxene had kicked me….after I'd been dragged out of Roxas's room. I sighed. Roxas. I didn't want to think about him just yet. I couldn't tangle myself in this emotional spiderweb any more.

But… if Sora succeeded, what then? Would he take me back to the island? After he left the Castle, wouldn't he forget everything about me? And what about Roxas? Could I just leave here, knowing he would be staying behind?

My thinking was cut off by the sound of footsteps. Sora came into my sight, panting angrily. Goofy and Donald weren't far behind him.

"You defeated Axel." Marluxia chuckled evilly. "The Keyblade's power… how I've longed to make it my own."

"Let Naminé go!" Sora shouted.

"You've no chance of winning." Marluxia assured him. "Naminé," He placed a large hand on my shoulder, "erase Sora's memory."

I gasped. Erase? A mental image of Sora laying on the ground, his face twisted in frozen pain like the replica, flashed through my head. I shivered. I couldn't. I _wouldn't._

Sora and his friends jumped back at the command. I pushed Marluxia's arm off me. "If I do that, then…." I questioned him. How could he even ask me of such a terrible thing?

"That's right. Sora's heart will be destroyed." Marluxia looked smug. Sora's face tightened in rage.

"His… heart, destroyed?" Goofy asked, worried.

"You can do that?" Donald asked, wide-eyed.

"I'd have preferred him unmarred, but he can be rebuilt more to my liking with time." Marluxia said. "Naminé, do it."

"NO!" I refused. Marluxia turned to me in dark surprise. "Sora forgave me even… when I deceived him. So how could I destroy his heart? There's no way!" I clenched my fists in anger.

"I don't care what happens to me. I won't hurt Sora! I won't do it!" I yelled, adamant in my decision. To get to Sora, he'd have to step over my dead body. I spread my arms wide in protection.

"Then you will—" Marluxia began.

"Do it, Naminé!" Sora yelled from behind me. Everyone in the room looked at him. I took in a sharp breath. Wh—what?

"I don't care! You can erase my memory!" Sora declared.

"Sora! Why'd you say that?" Goofy asked, distressed.

"Because… who will I look after if I don't have Naminé? So just do it! Erase my memories! Destory my heart! I promised… I'd always protect you! You have to believe me!"

"Sora!" I said.

"I don't need any memories to take on someone like Marluxia!" He remarked angrily.

"You bet!" Donald backed him up. "I bet if Sora forgets, he could still take you on! We'll still remember!"

"Donald's right! He and I can remember everything for Sora!"

"See? I'll have all my friends' memories. So I can piece my own together again!" Sora said.

"You ignorant fool. If Naminé uses her powers to erase your memory, you'll be nothing but an empty shell. Your heart will no longer be able to feel or to care. Just like Vexen's pathetic imitation of your Riku." I looked away. The crushed-heart Sora flashed through my mind once again.

"Take another guess!" A familiar voice came from behind Sora. I gasped as a dark portal spat out a fully-working Riku Replica. He pointed his sword straight at Marluxia as he was thrown through the air towards the taller man. I ran to stand next to Sora.

"It can't be!" Marluxia gaped.

"Riku!" Sora exclaimed.

"No." The replica responded. "Just an imitation."

"You're a shell! A shell who has had everything taken. Everything!" Marluxia said incredulously.

"What can you possibly think I ever had? Both my body and my heart are fake. But there is one memory I'll keep. Even if it's just a lie! Whether it was a phantom promise or not, I will…. protect Naminé!" He swung his sword angrily.

"Imbeciles," Marluxia growled. He extended his arm to the sky and a single petal floated down from nowhere. When it touched his hand, a flash of light and flower petals revealed his scythe, long and deadly. He waved the scythe and a small storm of dark matter and flower petals swirled around him. "You would knowingly shackle your heart with a chain of memories born of lies?" Sora gritted his teeth and prepared to battle Marluxia, the Keyblade glinting in the white Castle light.

"You would be one who has a heart, yet cast aside your heart's freedom?" Marluxia was really angry now. The Replica put an arm out in front of me.

"You turn from the truth because your heart is weak. You will never defeat me!" The floor began to shake.

"What's going on?" I asked. Sora growled. The Riku Replica readied his attack.

"He's mine," Sora whispered, and attacked Marluxia. I could only watch as they fought each other. Blow after blow, I cringed in anticipation. Every time Sora got hit, it felt like I did too. I could hardly bear to watch. I clung to the Replica to stop myself from joining the battle.

Sora swiped at Marluxia with the Keyblade, and right as he was going for his next attack, Marluxia disappeared in a shower of flower petals. All was quiet.

"Is he gone?" Donald asked Sora, who gave him a thumbs-up.

"You could say that," A bodyless voice answered. Everyone tensed in surprise as a dark portal formed. Marluxia was present again.

"However, what you destroyed was merely an illusion of me."

"Ah!" Sora snarled.

"So what?" the Riku Replica yelled, running to Marluxia and swiping at him with his sword. The sword merely cut through the image of Marluxia like smoke. He disappeared once again, only flower petals littering the ground.

"Another imitation," Growled the replica as we ran up to him. We all studied the large, heavily decorated set of white doors standing in front of us.

"He's really…. In there?" Sora asked.

"Yes." I said. Marluxia's power to replicate himself had been unknown to me before now.

"I knew it. I can feel his power. It's trying to destroy my heart." Sora said quietly.

"Gawrsh! We'll just take care of him together!"

"Sora! Come on!" Donald called.

Sora turned to the replica. "Riku? Protect Naminé."

He gasped a little. "You don't…. mind?"

Sora smiled a bit. "Should I?" They spent a long moment looking at each other.

"All right." The replica replied.

"Wish me luck!" Sora said as he headed for the door. He took a long breath and opened and closed the door. All was silent.

My eyes lingered on the door for a minute. _Don't worry, Sora. I know you can do it._

"Is he going to be all right?" I asked Riku.

"I don't know," He confessed. "I don't know much about Sora, but I do know he has a strong heart. I think he can do it. I have faith in him."

All we could do is wait. I grew more anxious by the minute. Every second that ticked by, I knew Sora was fighting Marluxia. I played with my hands, twirled my hair, fiddled with the hem of my dress, anything to get my mind off of it. After seven minutes, I was starting to grow really worried.

Unable to stay silent any longer, I groaned. I laid flat on my back, and the replica looked at me in fascination.

"How can you sit still like this?" I questioned, propping myself up on my elbows. "Sora is in there, and he's fighting Marluxia, and he's taking so long and—" Riku held up a finger to quiet me.

"Sora will be fine. I'm sure of it." He turned back to the door and sat in wait. He was incredibly still, so much so that if I didn't see him blink every once in a while I wouldn't have even thought he was alive.

My heart leapt when I saw the door open wide. Sora came running out with Donald and Goofy, who closed the doors behind him.

He ran determinedly as I stood up, heading for the back of the room. Once he was halfway back, he pointed the Keyblade at the door. A shining light shone from its tip and a ray shot out towards the door, forming the image of a keyhole. The whole door lit up and then there was a giant flash. When I opened my eyes, all evidence that it had once been a pair of double doors was gone. The opening where the doors had been was just a wall now. Still decorated, but smooth as if it had always been a part of the castle. I couldn't believe my eyes.

"Are you okay, Riku?" Sora asked after a moment.

"I'm not Riku," He replied. "I'm a fake. I can't remember why I was created, or where, or when. All that's inside of me is time with you and Naminé. But I know… that those memories are not real." His face was melancholy.

"Gee, Naminé, can't you use your magic to put Riku's memory back to normal?" Goofy questioned me.

"Well, I…" I didn't know if that was possible.

"It's alright," The replica said. "I'll deal." He turned to walk away.

"Wait!" Sora called. He stopped.

"Who cares if someone created you? You're you, and nobody else! You have your own heart inside you! Those feelings and memories are yours, and yours alone! They're special!"

"Sora, you're a good guy. I don't have to be real to see how real your feelings are. That's good enough." He walked to the hall at the back of the room.

"Riku!" Sora said. This time the replica didn't stop. He just kept on walking until my eyes could no longer see him.

"Riku…" Sora watched him go, sadness filling his eyes. After a moment of silence, Donald addressed me.

"Can you put our memories back?"

"Yes. Not remembering something…. Doesn't really mean that it's gone."

"Whaddya mean?" Asked a confused Goofy.

"When you remember one thing, that leads to remembering another. And then another, and then another. Our memories… are connected. Many pieces are linked together- like they're in a chain… that makes up each of us. I don't actually erase any memories- just take apart the links and rearrange them. You still have all your memories."

The cricket appeared on Sora's shoulder. "So you can put 'em back together?" He questioned.

"Yes, but first I have to undo the chains of the memories I made on my own. After I've done that, I have to gather up the memories scattered across each of your hearts and then reconnect them. It might… take some time, but…. I think it might work. No… it will work. I'm sure." I smiled. "It's my turn to look after you."

"Alright." Sora smiled back. "We all really trust you."

"Oh… wait a second! You said you'd have to undo the links of the memories you made! But that means…" The cricket said.

"Yes. You won't be able to remember anything… about what happened here." I looked down sorrowfully. I wished it could be different, but it was the only way. If it meant losing my only friend to have him regain his true memories, then so be it.

"Not even you?" Sora asked unhappily.

"I'm sorry. It's the only way, I'm afraid." I turned around and walked towards the wall.

"Sora… you have a choice. You can lose your memories of this castle, and reclaim your old ones, or keep your memories here and give up the memories you've lost," I said quietly.

"Do I have to…. To choose?" He asked me, his voice soft with sadness.

"Yes." I nodded. He was silent while he thought. Some horribly selfish part of me wished that he'd choose the latter.

"Make me like I was."

I gulped down tears. "Oh. Okay. Nobody needs to keep a bunch of memories that aren't real, right?" I forced a smile. "You want to remember all the people who are… really important to you. Anybody…. Would choose that…" I closed my eyes and exhaled. It was the logical decision; I didn't understand why some part of me had been foolish enough to hope he'd pick me.

He was silent. "Follow me." I said, before I could hear his apologies and change my mind. I led him down a side hall and through a few others to a large room with a strange, egg-shaped structure in the center.

"To remember again, we have to sleep in that?" Donald asked skeptically.

"Yes," I answered. "It's going to take a little time, but I'll take care of you."

"Gawrsh, when we wake up, we won't remember who you are anymore!" Goofy said.

"But then how are we going to be able to thank you?" Donald added.

"Don't worry about that!" The cricket emerged from Sora's hood, holding a small book. "I'll just make a big note in my journal: and, it will say, thank Naminé!" Sora smiled.

"Oh, good! That makes me feel better." Donald said. Goofy nodded.

"Well, good night then, Naminé," Goofy said, waving.

"Good night, Goofy." The two of them waved at me and walked off to their respective pods.

"You too, Sora." I said, my attention turning to him.

"Okay," He said, and he began to climb into the large pod in the center.

"All of this…. May have started with a lie, but I really am glad that I could meet you, Sora." I smiled.

"Yeah. Me too. When I finally found you, and even when I remembered your name, I was happy." He turned back, letting go of the pod's extending petals.

"The way I felt then…that was no lie." He gave me a long, kind look straight in the eyes. And suddenly, I was glad he'd chosen this path. He had a long, good life ahead of him. A destiny to fulfill. And I was happy that I wasn't getting in the way of it.

"Goodbye," I said, savoring his kind eyes and gentle smile while I could.

"No, not goodbye!" He said. "When I wake up, I'll find you. And then, there will be…. No lies. We're gonna be friends for real. Promise me, Naminé."

"You're going to forget… making that promise." I predicted.

"If the chain of memories comes apart, the links will still be there, right? So the memory of our promise… will always be inside me somewhere. I'm sure of it."

"Yeah, you're right!" I said, suddenly happy. Even if he woke up and remembered nothing about me or what time we'd spent together, the memory would still lie somewhere deep within his heart. Always.

"Okay, it's a promise!" I said with a smile.

"Good. Until later," He smiled. We walked forward to meet each other. We both extended our pinky fingers and shook on it. Just like kids. Just the like past we'd never had.

But at least we'd have the future.

He waved and hopped into the pod without another word.

"A promise… huh." I examined my finger as if it held some kind of magic. "Sora, some of your memories' links are deep within the shadows of your heart. And I won't be able to find them. But don't worry… you made another promise to someone." The petals of the pod began to close as he turned around. "…Who you could never replace. She is your light- the light within the darkness. Remember her, and all the memories lost within the shadows of your heart will come into the light."

"Another promise." He pondered.

"Look at the good luck charm. I changed its shape when I changed your memory. When you thought of her just once, it went back to the way it was!"

He pulled the charm from his pocket and gave me one last glance before the petals closed, blocking him from my sight.

I could feel him slip from consciousness, into sleep. I closed my eyes and imagined myself in there with him. With a little effort, I found myself floating beside him in the darkness. He looked at the charm, and the ghostly images of a bunch of people appeared, including Riku and Kairi. He looked up, and his eyes lingered on Riku for a moment, but when he saw her, his whole face lit up.

"Kairi!" He called, overjoyed at the memory of her name. She smiled and nodded, and a flash of light changed the darkness and ghostly figures to a white background. The people became focused, clear and colorful. "My friends…" He whispered in joy. He looked to me. I could feel myself slowly slipping away as the need to begin the process grew more urgent. "Naminé?"

"Don't worry. You might forget about me, but with our promise, I can come back." I extended my little finger.

"A promise is a promise." He replied.

"Yes. One day, the light…. It will be ours, and it will bring us together. Till then, I will be in your heart." A single tear ran down my cheek.

"Right. Forgotten, but not lost."


End file.
